Ohio State DE Tracy Sprinkle kicked off team

Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer in the third quarter against Clemson in the Discover Orange Bowl.

Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer in the third quarter against Clemson in the Discover Orange Bowl. (CHARLES TRAINOR JR / MCT)

Sports Xchange

Ohio State defensive lineman Tracy Sprinkle was dismissed from the team by coach Urban Meyer on Monday after his arrest over the weekend when he was charged with cocaine possession after a bar brawl.

Sprinkle, 19, entered not guilty pleas to charges of rioting, failure to disperse, possession of cocaine and drug paraphernalia in a Monday morning arraignment in a Lorain, Ohio courtroom.

Meyer previously had suspended Sprinkle from football activities indefinitely pending the outcome of his case.

A team spokesman told Cleveland.com that Sprinkle's status could be looked at again depending on the outcome of his legal issues.

The redshirt freshman was arrested between 2 a.m. and 3 a.m. early Saturday after a “large fight” at Grown & Sexy Lounge.

Sprinkle, a native of nearby Elyria, was among an estimated 50 people outside the bar when police arrived on the scene to break up the altercation. One officer described the situation inside as “absolute mayhem,” with chairs being thrown, a pool table flipped over, lights broken and a police dog used to control the crowd. Ohio State Highway Patrol officers assisted Lorain Police.

The police report indicated that Sprinkle shouted at 23-year-old Wayne Blue, who said he was hit in the face with a bottle thrown by Sprinkle, who denied any involvement in the chaos.

Sprinkle was arrested and taken to jail. After an officer removed Sprinkle from a police cruiser, police said two small bags of cocaine were found under the back seat. Each bag weighed 0.2 grams and tested positive for cocaine, according to Cleveland.com.

The 6-foot-3, 283-pound Sprinkle enrolled at Ohio State last winter as part of the Class of 2013 but sat out last season as a redshirt. He is projected as a backup defensive lineman this fall for the Buckeyes.